Straw-dispenser



C. H. SHELTON.

STRAW DISPENSER- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. I920.

1 ,355 ,s 4 Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

WITNESSES INVENTOH CZGA/QZa/Ad .5:

A TTOR/VEYS CLEVELAND HENDRIX SHELTON, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

STRAW-DISPENSER.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed January 13, 1920. Serial No. 351,088.

T 0 all whom itmay concern;

Be it known that I, CLEVELAND IIENDRIX SHELTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStraw-Dispensers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for the dispensing of drinking strawsat soda fountains, and the purpose of my invention is the provision ofsuch a device which automatically delivers the straws singly to aconvenient position for withdrawal, the remaining straws being housedand protected against dust and other foreign matter accumulatingthereon.

I will describe one form of dispensing device and two forms of bracketsfor supporting the same, and will then point out the novel featuresthereof in claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing in perspective one form of bracket embodyingmy invention and having applied thereto one form of dispensing deviceembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing in side elevation another form of bracketembodying my invention to which is applied the dispensing device shownin the preceding views.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of theseveral views.

Referring specifically to the drawings, G designates a container ormagazine in which the supply of straws is adapted to be housed. Thiscontainer C is preferably formed of glass and, as shown in Fig. 2, is ofsubstantial diamond shape in cross section to provide oppositelyinclined walls 15 which coact to effect a downward feeding of the strawsto a slot formed in the lower edge of the container. This slot isdesignated at 16 and as shown in Fig. 2 is coextensive in length withthe container C. Intermediate its ends, the walls of the slot 16 areprovided and spanned by a substan tially semi-circular tray 17 intowhich is adapted to be deposited singly, the straws in the container. Asshown in Fig. 1, the tray 17 is shorter than the length of the averagedrinking straw, so that portions of the straw project beyond theopposite ends of the tray. These portions are adapted to be gripped bythe user in withdrawing the straw from the tray.

As shown in Fig. 2, the container 0 is provided with an open upper sidewhich is adapted to be closed by a cover plate P having end flanges 18and a top side flange 19 formed with openings 20 through which extendsupporting cars 21 formed on the upper edge of the container C. By thisarrangement it will be seen that as the cover plate P normally assumesan inclined position, the flanges 18 and 19 embracing the container toprevent accidental displacement of the plate. The cars 21 form anadditional means for confining the plate upon the container but areprimarily designed for hingedly supporting the device as a whole upon asuitable frame or bracket. As shown in Fig. 3, this bracket comprises inthe present instance an L-shaped arm 22, the lower end of the verticalportion of which is provided with a U-shaped yoke 23 and a set screw 24:which is threadedly mounted within the yoke so as to cause the latter tofirmly grip a counter 25 or other suitable support and to therebyrigidly support the bracket in the position above the counter. Thehorizontal portion of the bracket 22 carries extensions 22 which areadapted to be hingedly connected to the ears 21 through the medium oflinks 26 and to thereby hingedly support the dispensing device in ahorizontal position upon the bracket. In this position of the dispensingdevice, the straws can be readily removed from either end of thecontainer, it being understood that the container may be swung to oneside or the other of the bracket when it is desired to remove thestraws.

In Fig. 1, I have shown another form of bracket which is similar inconstruction to a saw horse, the same comprising pairs of intersectingmembers 27 which are rigidly connected at the points of intersection bya rod 28. As vshownin the drawing, the dispensing device is supportedbetween the members 27 in such manner that the end portions of eachstraw as it is delivered to the tray are exposed so that the straw maybe readily withdrawn from either end of the device.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of thedispensing device and two forms of brackets, it is to be understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made herein Without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A straw dispensing device comprising a container of substantiallydiamond shaped formation in cross section and having an open side, acover plate adapted to close the open side, flanges formed on the coverplate and embracing said container, ears formed on the upper edge ofsaid container and extending through said cover plate, a slot formed inthe lower edge of said container, and a tray disposed below said slot.

2. In combination, a supporting bracket, a straw dispensing devicecomprising a container having oppositely inclined walls and a slot atthe lower edges of said walls, a tray disposed below said slot, earsformed on said container and links connected to said ears and to saidbracket for hingedly supporting the device upon the bracket.

CLEVELAND HENDRIX SHELTON.

